Sunshine: Why it is Very Important for Your Ponds

Sun is the most important renewable energy source nature has given to our world. As a matter of fact, sunlight and heat provide vital energy that sustain live on Earth. Without sun, no life will exist on the planet Earth.

The benefits of the sun are numerous. Both plants and animals benefit immensely from this special gift of nature. As a catfish farmer, I will like to expose other farmers like me to certain things we enjoy from sunshine without notice. Of a truth, your catfish farming business could be affected by the intensity of sunshine.

Join me as we go through the importance of sunshine on catfish production:

1. It Acts as Water Color Stabilizer: Color of pond water can change from light green to grey or blackish due to many factors such as overstocking, excessive feeding and poor lightning from the sun. It has been observed that pond water changes color during a period of little or no sunshine. Even when there is no case of overfeeding/stocking, water still changes color during season of little sunshine especially in pond system. This establishes the fact that heat and light from sun help in stability of pond water.
2. It Enhances the Growth of Water Plants: Growth of plants is made possible and sustained in pond water through sunlight. Energy tapped by plants through photosynthesis is stored in calories. These calories are used up by fishes that feed on them. Water plants absorb ammonia from the pond to keep pond water habitable for catfish production. By this process, water quality is regulated. Apart from water plants, other plants that are used as inputs in catfish feed depend solely on sun as a source of energy.
3. It Regulates Water Temperature: Tropical catfish perform well in slightly warm water. The heat from sun helps in regulating pond water temperature through direct and indirect means. When the temperature is too low, the ability of catfish to regulate its body temperature will be affected. Evaporation process through heating from sunshine results in rain and cooling of the pond environment. Rain helps in refreshing and replenishing ground water that supplies catfish ponds. However, to avoid the negative impact of sun heat on the pond, pond water must not be too shallow. Pond water level of between 3-4 feet is recommended except in other system apart from pond system.
4. It Helps Catfish Metabolic Activities: Catfish eats little in the time of low temperature in the tropic. In a situation of low temperature, digestive system of catfish slows down. The growth is less obvious. The length of culturing season becomes longer. Also profit margin reduces.
5. It Supplies Vitamin-D: Sun ray is rich in vitamin D. There is a possibility that catfish can tap this vitamin through their skin like man. From literature, vitamin D from sun is important for bone formation and also helps in absorption of calcium in feed.
6. Ultraviolent Ray from sun helps in water sanitization by killing some water pathogen and leaving some less harmful ones. Pathogen-causing diseases are kept at check by the help of this ray from the sun.